1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a webbing retractor which limits, to a limit load, the load which a force limiter mechanism applies from a webbing to a vehicle occupant at the time of a vehicle emergency, and to a method of controlling the webbing retractor, and to a vehicle provided with the webbing retractor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among webbing retractors, there are those which limit, to a limit load, the load which a force limiting device (force limiter mechanism) applies to a vehicle occupant from a belt (webbing) (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application National Publication No. 2003-502204).
In such a webbing retractor, a switching device switches the limit load by the force limiting device from high level to low level.
Here, in the webbing retractor, in particular in cases in which the vehicle occupant has a large physique or the like, it is preferable for the limit load by the force limiting device to be made to be a high level at an early stage.